Is Deleting Your Social Media Account the Latest Trend?

When someone uses the term “Millennials” or “Generation Z”, the first thing that come to mind is social media and everything in between–after all, we are considered the generations who never get off their phones.

In the midst of people who obsessively show off the best version of themselves on social media, a recent trend has popped up, and it is quite alarming. It seems as if more and more people are starting to delete (or at least, deactivate) their social media accounts.

Millennial Lena Dunham, who is notorious for forming very opinionated, feminist tweets, has deleted her Twitter account. In a Re/code Decode podcast last week, she shared that she deleted the social media application because it felt like an unsafe place, almost like it had created something “cancerous” inside her. She was sick of dealing with trolls and bashers so she simply wanted to stay away from their negative energy.

Back in May, Jaden Smith also deleted his Twitter account, and it caused quite a stir. He soon came back, but now he follows only five people.

One may wonder: why are the most unlikely people starting to do this? According to The New York Times, Generation Z craves for more privacy and authenticity. It seems as if the younger generation was able to detect superficiality better than those that came before them, as they now crave for more genuine connections. Whether they want to delete their social media accounts for good or to simply clear their heads, one cant deny that they are getting on to something.